Globalisation
Globalisation asks for distribution partners that can work seamlessly around the globe. With operations in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US we can use our global network to support our suppliers and customers in nearly any location. This further supports our diversification strategy and focus on expansion into new geographies and adjacencies.
Digitisation
Digital technologies open new possibilities to serve customers more efficiently and change the way we work. These technlogies also provide opportunities for additional services to our current customer portfolio as well as new business opportunities in our diversified markets, with the main growth driver being e-commerce. However, it also creates more vulnerability to cyberattacks and requires increasing investments to keep up with cyber security threats.
Selected distribution
Suppliers in developed markets are increasingly looking to centralise (parts of) their distribution with selected key partners. Entering into selected partnerships with a reliable and long-term focused distribution partner enables them to outsource their business operations in selected geographical areas and significantly simplify their route-to-market.
Additionally, the specific distribution requirements to various end markets in terms of delivery times and reliability are expected to continue to drive the trend among suppliers and manufacturers of outsourcing part of their sales to a smaller number of specialty distributors.
Increasing compliance standards
In food distribution to the remote and maritime sectors, increasing regulation and demand for product information transparency requires continuous upgrades of facilities and processes related to food safety, quality controls and customs compliance.
Retail value chain redesign
The rise of value channels and shift from physical stores to online platforms has further increased customer concentration into these non-traditional channels and into the winning retailers within these channels. This redesign of the retail value chain asks for new capabilities and services along the value chain such as digital leads generation, offering marketing as a service to brand owners and offering data analytics insights to both supplier and customers in these channels.
Additionally, more intense and more rapid communications allow customers everywhere to purchase products made anywhere around the globe and to access information about what to buy. This requires a wide and varied online product range that is always in stock and available on demand at attractive pricing.
Related content
Business model
Find out about our unique value adding proposition to selected channels and markets worldwide.
Markets we serve
Find out about the specific demands, characteristics and developments of our diversified markets.